Utilitarianism was developed by the philosophers jeremy bentham and john stuart mill, who drew on ideas going back to the ancient greeks. She is author of uneasy virtue 2001 as well as numerous articles in journals, including the journal of philosophy, the philosophical quarterly, and nous. After a brief historical introduction to the problem, driver examines utilitarianism, and the arguments of its most famous exponents, john stuart mill and jeremy bentham, and explains the fundamental questions under. In terms of his place in the history of utilitarianism we should note two distinct effects his system had. What is the difference between act and rule utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is very closely associated with consequentialism, to the point where some use the terms interchangeably. Normative ethical theory underwent a period of refinement in some areas and proliferation in others during the twentieth century. Julia driver, in her encyclopedia article on the history of utilitarianism notes that at the period mill was writing, act utilitarianism was more or less the convention.
Though there are many varieties of the view discussed, utilitarianism is generally. Utilitarianism, also known as consequentialism, is often summed up as a philosophy of the greatest good for the. May 20, 20 julia driver is professor of philosophy at dartmouth college. Ethical analysis of issues in prioritizing patients. This is an automatically generated and experimental page. It is concerned with the articulation and the justification of the fundamental principles that govern the issues of how we should live and what we morally ought to do. However, even before it became publicized, older philosophers, such as david hume and john gay, were said to have had a utilitarian view. Utilitarianism is a family of consequentialist ethical theories that promotes actions that maximize. The history of utilitarianism stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Utilitarianism was created by european philosophers jeremy bentham and john stuart mill throughout the late eighteenth and nineteenth century. Utilitarianism is one of the best known and most influential moral theories. The key idea of the paper to explain the evolution from classical utilitarianism to preferences utilitarianism and towards postwelfarist approaches is the following. Linked bibliography for the sep article the history of utilitarianism by julia driver. Bentham benthams utilitarianism is a pig philosophy thomas carlyle.
Julia drivers admirably clear and concise account of the fundamentals of ethics will serve as an excellent text for. Utilitarianism is a theory that holds that the best way to make a moral decision is to look at the potential consequences of each available choice, and then, one should pick the option that either, does the most to increase happiness, or does the least to increase suffering. This began, largely, with a critical look at utilitarianism. She received her phd in philosophy from the johns hopkins university. You can filter on reading intentions from the list, as well as view them within your profile read the guide. After a brief historical introduction to the problem, driver examines utilitarianism, and the arguments of its most famous exponents, john stuart mill and jeremy. First,ittracestheorigins and development of utilitarianism via the work of jeremy. Utilitarianism and consequentialism the gm bailout. Julia driver, the history of utilitarianism philpapers. Writing in the stanford encyclopedia of philosophy, julia driver 2014, reference below says that utilitarianism is generally held to be the view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good. See julia driver, the history of utilitarianism, the stanford encyclopedia of philosophy winter 2014 edn. Can utilitarianism improve the us criminal justice system. The misplaced role of utilitarianism in john stuart mill.
These comments refer to the case study influenza vaccine shortage. Most arguments in support of act utilitarianism are elaborations of one of two basic strategies. Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy 2010 authors julia driver university of texas at austin abstract this article has. Drivers introduction to ethics is more responsive to the contemporary philosophical scene than any other that i know of. What is the difference between kantianism and utilitarianism. After a brief historical introduction to the problem, driver examines utilitarianism, and consequentialism is the view that the rightness or wrongness of actions depend solely on their consequences. As an asthmatic university student, alison brings to light many of the difficulties of distributing influenza vaccines in a shortage. The main difference between act and rule utilitarianism is that act utilitarianism emphasizes the consequencesresults of action whereas rule utilitarianism emphasizes the consequences from following a rule of conduct utilitarianism, which is one of the most influential moral theories in the world, refers to the theory that the morality of actions depends on their effect on the. Even though it was not fully articulated until the 19th century, protoutilitarian positions can be recognized and discerned throughout the history of ethical theory.
In this wireless philosophy video, julia driver washington university in st. Benthams hedonism was too egalitarian julia driver, the history of utilitarianism simpleminded pleasures, sensual pleasures, were just as good, at least intrinsically, than more sophisticated and complex pleasures. Oxford university press usa publishes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, childrens books, business books, dictionaries, reference books, journals, text books and more. An ethical analysis of vaccine rationing markkula center. In addition to covering all the standard topics, this book was, i think, the first in which an ethical theory book to consider islam, the navajo religion, and buddhism. The history of utilitarianism stanford encyclopedia of. Utilitarianism utilitarianism, the approach to ethics based on the maximization of overall wellbeing, continues to have great traction in moral philosophy and political thought. In this book, julia driver introduces and critically assesses consequentialism in all its forms. Setting a reading intention helps you organise your reading. Though the first systematic account of utilitarianism was developed by jeremy bentham 17481832, the core insight motivating the theory occurred much earlier.
This ethical philosophy was largely popularized by the likes of jeremy bentham and john stuart mill in the 19th century driver, 2009. Apr 28, 2009 in this book, julia driver introduces and critically assesses consequentialism in all its forms. The misplaced role of utilitarianism in john stuart mills. After a brief historical introduction to the problem, driver examines utilitarianism, and consequentialism is the view that the rightness or wrongness of. Utilitarianism became a popular philosophy sometime during the late 18th or 19th century led by jeremy bentham and john stuart mill. Julia drivers admirably clear and concise account of the fundamentals of ethics will serve as an excellent text for introductory courses and beyond, as well as being a good place for the interested lay person to start. Julia driver is a professor at university of texas at austin, department of philosophy. Michael slote, university of miami drivers introductory textbook discusses the theories that should be discussed, and does so in an engaging and fairminded way. May 05, 2020 utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, an ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes. Roger crisp, mill on utilitarianism routledge, 1997 julia driver, consequentialism routledge, 2011 ben eggleston and dale e. Normative ethical theory in the twentieth century oxford. Utilitarianism, in normative ethics, a tradition stemming from the late 18th and 19thcentury english philosophers and economists jeremy bentham and john stuart mill according to which an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and wrong if it tends to produce the reverse of happiness. Though not fully articulated until the 19 th century, protoutilitarian positions can be discerned throughout the history of ethical theory. This strategy relies on the consequentialist premise that an act is right if and only if it produces the best possible consequences and the welfarist premise that the value of a state of affairs is entirely determined by its overall amount of wellbeing.
The cambridge companion to utilitarianism notre dame. The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy summer 2009 edition. Their utilitarian views have been widely discussed since and have had a significant influence in economics and public policy. Theorists in the early part of the century were optimistic about the prospects of systematizing normative ethics in a way that would be faithful to our commonsense normative judgements. The fundamentals explores core ideas and arguments in moral theory by introducing students to different philosophical approaches to ethics, including virtue ethics, kantian ethics, divine command theory, and feminist ethics the first volume in the new fundamentals of philosophy series. Her main areas of research are normative ethics, moral psychology, and metaethics. Julia driver, the history of utilitarianism, in the stanford encyclopedia of philosophy, stanford. Bentham believed that when a government is based on utilitarianism, a system of law and reason is created that. Louis introduces us to the ethical theory of consequentialism. However, these two philosophies take on different standpoints on ethics. For instance, a utilitarian may argue that although some armed robbers robbed a bank in a heist, as long as there are more people who benefit from the robbery say, in a robin hoodlike.
The classical utilitarians, jeremy bentham and john stuart mill, identified the good with pleasure. That insight is that morally appropriate behavior will not harm others, but instead increase happiness or utility. Given the long and intimate association between utilitarianism and cambridge. The first volume in the new fundamentals of philosophy series. Utilitarianism is a philosophy that values the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people driver 2014.
Utilitarianism, act and rule internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Driver thus, classical utilitarianism guides ethical decision makers to make decisions that bring the most pleasure for the greatest number of people. Jun 12, 2015 in this wireless philosophy video, julia driver washington university in st. Linked bibliography for the sep article the history of. The morally wrong action is the one that leads to the reduction of the maximum good. Jun 11, 2015 roger crisp, mill on utilitarianism routledge, 1997 julia driver, consequentialism routledge, 2011 ben eggleston and dale e. The history of utilitarianism by julia driver and excerpts from utilitarianism by john stuart mill utilitarianism. Presents lively, realworld examples and thoughtful discussion of key moral. What sets utilitarianism apart from other types of consequentialism is that it maintains that we must consider the consequences for everyone at least all humans, perhaps all sentient beings, whereas other versions of. Presents lively, realworld examples and thoughtful discussion of key moral philosophers and their. Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals cambridge texts in the history of philosophy christine m. After hume, there was a tendency to move away from character evaluation and focus on act evaluation. The misplaced role of utilitarianism in john stuart.
Julia markovits mit gives an introduction to the moral theory of utilitarianism. But julia driver, in her provocative contribution on global utilitarianism, would seem to resist any such characterization of the global utilitarian attempt to evaluate all things relevant to agency 167 by the utilitarian standard. One of the most eminent ethical principles that supports the aforementioned viewpoint is utilitarianism. Contemporary scholars of moral philosophy often identify john stuart mills utilitarianism as one of the more important works in moral theory in the last two hundred years. In this find we can truly understand what utilitarianism is. Julia driver university of texas at austin philpeople. Thus, global utilitarianism is a kind of act utilitarianism. Oct 22, 2019 utilitarianism is a theory that holds that the best way to make a moral decision is to look at the potential consequences of each available choice, and then, one should pick the option that either, does the most to increase happiness, or does the least to increase suffering.
It holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number, so in this case, almost all the worlds choice is quarantine or social distancing to this pandemic because it. Linked bibliography for the sep article the history of utilitarianism. Oxford university press usa publishes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, childrens books, business books, dictionaries, reference books. The history of utilitarianism university of queensland.
After a brief historical introduction to the problem, driver examines utilitarianism, and the arguments of its most famous exponents, john stuart mill and jeremy bentham, and explains the fundamental questions underlying utilitarian theory. Utilitarianism utilitarianism is one of the most powerful and persuasive approaches to normative ethics in the history of philosophy. Julia driver julia driver is a professor of philosophy at washington university in st. Utilitarianism is one of the most powerful and persuasive approaches to normative ethics in the history of philosophy. Its most general concerns are providing an account of moral evaluation and, possibly, articulating a decision procedure to guide moral action. Jul 10, 2014 to begin an exploration in ethical philosophy and build a foundational knowledge and understanding of how such thinking has evolved and progressed in humans over time, one must look to possibly one of the most influential approaches to ethics in history.
The fundamentals explores core ideas and arguments in moral theory by introducing students to different philosophical approaches to ethics, including virtue ethics, kantian ethics, divine command theory, and feminist ethics. Julia driver, the history of utilitarianism, stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Utilitarianism is one of a group of theories that maintain that the rightness or wrongness of an actio n depends on the actions consequences. The dominant concept in this theory is that there are not absolute values in ethics. May 02, 2016 benthams hedonism was too egalitarian julia driver, the history of utilitarianism simpleminded pleasures, sensual pleasures, were just as good, at least intrinsically, than more sophisticated and complex pleasures. Julia markovits, associate professor of philosophy, mit. Type article authors julia driver date 2014 web address. To begin an exploration in ethical philosophy and build a foundational knowledge and understanding of how such thinking has evolved and progressed in humans over time, one must look to possibly one of the most influential approaches to ethics in history. Follow them to stay up to date with their professional activities in philosophy, and browse their publications such as the virtues of ignorance, ethics. There are many ways to spell out this general claim. The english utilitarians, volume l by sir leslie stephen. Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy 2010 authors julia driver university of texas at austin abstract this article has no associated abstract. Aug 18, 2006 julia driver s admirably clear and concise account of the fundamentals of ethics will serve as an excellent text for introductory courses and beyond, as well as being a good place for the interested lay person to start.
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